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Surveillance system with surveillance terminals and surveillance centerSurveillance system with surveillance terminals and surveillance center description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060238329, Surveillance system with surveillance terminals and surveillance center. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a surveillance system, surveillance terminals, and a surveillance center, the surveillance system being configured to detect a hazard such as crime, calamities, etc. and alert residents to the hazard in the locality of the hazard and its vicinity, and the invention relates to a hazard and alert signaling method. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] In a prior art surveillance system built by networking a surveillance center and a plurality of surveillance terminals, the surveillance center performs the surveillance control, using discrete links to each surveillance terminal. For example, when a surveillance terminal detects a hazard, the surveillance center obtains information in various aspects of the hazard from only the surveillance terminal that has just detected the hazard and performs the surveillance and alert task, based on the obtained information (for example, refer to Kokai, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-316146). [0005] In another similar system of prior art, when a hazard occurs in one of a plurality of homes existing in one area, the home security communications device provided in that home outputs a hazard detection signal and this signal is sent over a wireless channel via a communication managing unit in the area to the surveillance center. The surveillance center signals a hazard alert to mobile phones carried by residents of the above home and also signals the alert to the hazard occurred in the one home to other homes within the same area (for example, refer to Kokai, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-271522). BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] For the latter one of the foregoing systems of prior art, when a hazard occurs in a home in an area, the residents of other homes in the same area are alerted to the hazard, and, therefore, it is possible to prevent the damage from the hazard from spreading. However, alert signaling to the residents in other areas is not taken into consideration. Consequently, it is impossible to control alerting the residents of homes in other areas so that the alerting will be performed, if necessary, depending on the hazard type. [0007] Upon the reception of a hazard signal from a home in an area, the surveillance center is able to send a hazard alert signal to homes in other areas. For the residents of the homes in other areas, alerting them to all hazards of any type, when it occurs outside the area where they live, may be rather annoying because they would receive many alert messages that are unnecessary for them. Meanwhile, it is a burden for the surveillance center to send alert signals upon the occurrence of any hazard to the homes in other areas as well as the hazard locality area because a huge amount of data must be collected in the surveillance system. [0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide a surveillance system, surveillance terminals, and a surveillance center, the surveillance system being configured to perform effective hazard alert signaling, depending on the hazard type, and a hazard and alert signaling method. [0009] In order to achieve the foregoing object, a surveillance system of the present invention comprises a plurality of surveillance terminals and a surveillance center, the plurality of surveillance terminals being connected to the surveillance center by a network carries out hazard and alert signaling. One of the surveillance terminals detects a hazard and sends a hazard information signal reporting what hazard has just been detected to the surveillance center. The surveillance center receives the hazard information signal, identifies what type of the hazard source and the surveillance terminal that sent the hazard information signal, selects surveillance terminals to be alerted to the hazard from among the plurality of surveillance terminals, depending on the identified type of the hazard source and its locality, and sends a hazard alert signal to the selected surveillance terminals. [0010] In some implementation of the invention, it may be preferable that the surveillance center selects areas to be alerted to the hazard from among a plurality of areas studded with the plurality of surveillance terminals, depending on the identified type of the hazard source and its locality, and sends a hazard alert signal to the surveillance terminals that fall in the selected areas. [0011] In some implementation of the invention, it may be preferable that the surveillance center sends commands of different-level surveillance modes in which the hazard information signal is sent in different levels of information depth to the plurality of surveillance terminals, one of the commands of the different-level surveillance modes to be sent to each surveillance terminal being selected, depending on the identified type of the hazard source and its locality. [0012] A surveillance terminal of the present invention is connectable to the surveillance center via a network and comprises equipment which is able to detect a plurality of hazards and a communications unit which sends a hazard information signal reporting what hazard has just been detected as one of the plurality of hazards to the surveillance center. [0013] The surveillance center of the invention to which a plurality of surveillance terminals can be connected via a network comprises a communications unit which receives a hazard information signal sent from a surveillance terminal when a hazard occurs and sends a hazard alert signal to terminals, an identifier which identifies what type of the hazard source and the surveillance terminal that sent the hazard information signal, and a selector which selects surveillance terminals to be alerted to the hazard from among the plurality of surveillance terminals. [0014] The invention also provides a hazard and alert signaling method for use in a surveillance system where a plurality of surveillance terminals are connected to a surveillance center by a network. The hazard and alert signaling method comprises a first process to be performed at one of the surveillance terminals and a second process to be performed at the surveillance center. The first process comprises the steps of detecting a hazard and sending a hazard information signal reporting what hazard has just been detected to the surveillance center. The second process comprises the steps of receiving the hazard information signal, identifying what type of the hazard source and the surveillance terminal that sent the hazard information signal, selecting surveillance terminals to be alerted to the hazard from among the plurality of surveillance terminals, depending on the identified type of the hazard source and its locality, and sending a hazard alert signal to the selected surveillance terminals. [0015] In some implementation of the hazard and alert signaling method, it may be preferable to select areas to be alerted to the hazard from a plurality of areas studded with the plurality of surveillance terminals, depending on the identified type of the hazard source and its locality, and send a hazard alert signal to the surveillance terminals that fall in the selected areas. [0016] In some implementation of the hazard and alert signaling method, it may be preferable to send commands of different-level surveillance modes in which the hazard information signal is sent in different levels of information depth to the plurality of surveillance terminals, wherein one of the commands of the different-level surveillance modes to be sent to each surveillance terminal is selected, depending on the identified type of the hazard source and its locality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS [0017] These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein: [0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a surveillance system configuration in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [0019] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a surveillance terminal in FIG. 1. [0020] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a surveillance system configuration in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. [0021] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the areas to alert on. Continue reading about Surveillance system with surveillance terminals and surveillance center... Full patent description for Surveillance system with surveillance terminals and surveillance center Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Surveillance system with surveillance terminals and surveillance center patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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